Commentary and analysis to persuade people to become socialist and to act for themselves, organizing democratically and without leaders, to bring about a world of common ownership and free access. We are solely concerned with building a movement of socialists for socialism. We are not reformists with a programme of policies to patch up capitalism.

Friday, January 23, 2015

French Africa - Francafrique

Currently, France has over 3,000 troops spread across five
countries in Africa — Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad — as part
of Operation Burkhane, based in Chad. France also pushed heavily for
intervention in Libya during the the country's uprising against Muammar
Gaddafi, and has been involved in peacekeeping operations in various African
countries. France was decisively behind the imposition of a no-fly zone over
Libya during the Arab Spring uprisings against Muammar Gaddafi. France's
interpretation of UN Resolution 1973, which imposed a no-fly zone over the
country, was bolder than either the US's or the UK's position.

On January 11, 2013, France launched airstrikes against
jihadist positions in northern Mali as part of Operation Serval. French
involvement in Mali eventually morphed into a larger operation that involved
ground troops and French special forces.

In 2008, France moved 300 troops into the Central African
Republic's (CAR) capital of Bangui. The soldiers were involved in helping to
helping to stabilize the country in the face of rebel attacks spilling over
from the conflict-torn Darfur region of neighboring Sudan. In December 2013,
France began reinforcing these soldiers in an attempt to stabilize CAR after a
rebel coalition overthrew the country's government, sparking a brutal sectarian
conflict between Muslim and Christian armed groups. France increased the number
of soldiers in the country to 2,000.

French troops have played some role in Chad since the late
1986 as part of Operation Epervier. The operation was designed to help Chad
maintain its territorial integrity according to a bilateral agreement signed
after Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's failed invasion of the country. However, French troops never fully left Chad.
Instead, the French established a base at N'Djamena, Chad's capital. A
contingent of approximately 800 French soldiers remained at the base and helped
provide Chadian authorities with aerial surveillance on the advance of Sudanese
government-supported rebels, acting as a crucial force multiplier for Chadian
dictator Idris Deby during battles in the capital in 2006 and 2008. As part of
a global mission to tackle militancy across Africa, France launched Operation
Barkhane in 2014 as a continuation of Operation Epervier and Operation Servel.
Operation Barkhane will be headquarted at N'Djamena and 1,200 troops will be
stationed in Chad.

In 2002, a civil war split the Ivory Coast in half and the
French intervened in Operation Unicorn. Peace was largely brokered in the Ivory
Coast by 2007. But the country remained effectively divided and French soldiers
continued to stay in the country. In 2011, violence again flared as Gbagbo
refused to hand over power to his democratically elected successor, Alassane
Ouattara. French troops played a key role in removing Gbabgo from power. Under
France's reorganization of its military in Africa, the French plan to reinforce
their base at Abidjan, Ivory Coast's capital. The base will be used as an entry
point onto the continent as well as a logistical support post.

From 1999 to 2001, Djibouti fought an insurgency that was
eventually put down with French assistance. Following the war, Djibouti became
increasingly stable. France gave operations of Camp Lemonnier, a former Foreign
Legion post, over to the government of Djibouti, which then leased it to the US
in 2001. France maintains over 1,500
troops in Djibouti as part of a security force. The French forces in Djibouti
have taken part in operations in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and
the Ivory Coast. A French battle group that includes the French aircraft
carrier Charles de Gaulle are currently operating in the area.